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Thursday, July 17, 2025

Best Responsibilities of Coaching

“Basketball is life. It’s getting people to work harder, to work together, to think intelligently, to use common sense, to make plans, to carry out those plans, to overcome adversity, to-yes-sweat the small stuff.” - “Runnin’ the Show” by Dick DeVenzio

Developing relationships. Coaches build relationships. Relationships build trust. Trust builds loyalty. 

Being an anteambulo. In ancient Rome, a patron would have someone walking before him, "clearing the path." That's a coaching function, to help make the way for players. Ante is the Latin root for 'before' and ambulo "I walk." As an anteambulo, I walk before our players. 

Acquiring canvas. Another coaching function is getting canvas for others to paint on. Basketball at its best is art with players crafting their masterpieces. Did you know? Leonardo DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa on wood. 

Networking. Networking helps players achieve their dreams. Coaches write letters of recommendation, email, and communicate with coaches to advance a player's journey. That can also include 'off grid' communication with the print or electronic media to draw attention to special players. 

Player development. PD covers a lot of territory including skills and game knowledge. 
  • Devise separate and finish drills at all three levels.
  • Shooting. 
  • Break down and share video with players. 
  • Strength and conditioning (learn or 'subcontract out'). 
  • Theory and practice (e.g. Four Factors, Possession ending, special situations)
Game management. Some coaches love game management, in game adjustments, and substitution. I enjoy the 'teaching functions' best and it's hard to become a 'complete coach' without game management. 

The long game. It's great to see the success that former players achieve in life as parents and in across domains - education, business, the military, medicine, and more. It's literally the answer to the question that Amos Alonzo Stagg answered when asked about his team. "I'll be able to give you a better answer in twenty years."

Lagniappe. "Discipline converts knowledge into action." 

Lagniappe 2. "Always focus on the next move, the one that gets you closer or further from where you want to go." - in “Clear Thinking” by Shane Parrish

Lagniappe 3. Transition cedes control to players and creates opportunity for high points/possession. 

Lagniappe 4. Why should players know geometry?  

From ChatGPT:

Key Findings from Research:

  • John Fontanella (The Physics of Basketball):

    • An entry angle of approximately 52 degrees maximizes the margin for error, especially on straight-on shots.

    • This allows for a larger effective target area because the ball "sees" more of the hoop from a steeper angle.

  • Noah Basketball (Data from millions of shots using their arc-tracking technology):

    • They define the "optimal" entry angle as between 45° and 55°, with the best shooters consistently averaging around 52°.

    • Too flat (e.g., under 45°) increases the chance of hitting the front of the rim.

    • Too high (over 55°) often leads to inconsistency in depth and is harder to repeat.

Why 52 Degrees Is Considered Ideal:

  • It gives the ball a softer trajectory, improving chances of a shooter's bounce.

  • It increases the vertical space margin over the rim (more clearance).

  • It allows the shot to "drop in" rather than needing a precise direct path.

In Practice:

  • Great shooters like Steph Curry tend to shoot with an arc between 47°–55°, depending on shot type and distance.

  • Mid-range and free throws typically come in higher (closer to 52–54°), while NBA-range threes might flatten slightly (around 47–50°) due to force requirements.

If you're working with athletes, tools like Noah, RSPCT, or HomeCourt can help measure this directly with real-time arc data.

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Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Basketball - "I Don't Know"

What we don't know can kill us. "Looks like some great waves for bodysurfing today!" The lifeguard says, "Sorry, Mister, the undertow is fierce; stay out of the water."

A helpful tool is our "Circle of Competence." The circle forms a changeable boundary depending on our experience and study. My son prefers to call it, "staying in his lane."

At the Naval Academy, plebes learn "the five answers." 

  • "Yes, Sir."
  • "No, Sir."
  • "Aye, aye, Sir." 
  • "Right away, Sir."
  • "I don't know but I'll find out, Sir." 

It's essential to respond quickly and properly within the chain of command.

Medicine expands exponentially. Two vital answers become, "I don't know" or "that's an interesting idea, we might try that." Knowing a patient's allergies, pregnancy status, and other issues are constant concerns. 

The "I don't know" factor haunts players and coaches, especially when "I don't know" leads to a loss. 

The "I don't know" factor reflects attention to detail And every coach in America has lost because of "I didn't know." Check and double-check. 

  • "I didn't know we were out of timeouts." 
  • "I didn't know what defense we were in."
  • "I didn't know that she was left handed." 
  • "I didn't know that I was playing the '2' not the '3'."
  • "I didn't know that I was covering her." 
  • "I didn't know that they liked to run back door from the wing."
  • "I didn't know that another foul would disqualify me." 
  • "I didn't know we were sending two to the offensive boards."
  • "I didn't know we were in 'switch everything'."
  • "I didn't know that he always goes left." 
The list goes on and on.
We had a varsity girl that always went right. 100 percent. I said, "I guarantee, the first time you go left, you'll score. Your defender won't even suspect it." And that happened. Unfortunately, habits are hard to break.

Lagniappe. Give what you team needs. 

Lagniappe 2. We judge action differently with incomplete information. 

"How do you evaluate yourself? It is said that we judge ourselves based on our intentions, but we judge others based on their actions." - "The Leadership Playbook: Become Your Team's Most Valuable Leader" by Jamy Bechler

 

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Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Basketball - Question the Players, "How Do You Plan to Impact Winning?"

"How do you plan to impact winning?" Ask players for specifics. "I'm going to play hard" is good but not specific. 

Develop your plan now in the offseason. "Control what you can control."

Make yourself better (become your own coach)

  • Build skill with the ball
  • Play a lot
  • Enhance strength and conditioning
  • Study the game (video, clinics, other reading)

Make positive plays (efficiently) 

  • Get scores (what are your 'four ways to score' - e.g. transition, perimeter scoring, cutting, free throws, offensive boards?)
  • Assist
  • Get stops - defend, block, steal, deflect
  • Rebound

Avoid negative plays (the mental game)

  • Turnovers 
  • Lower quality shots 
  • Mental and physical mistakes on defense
  • "Fouling negates effort" 

Make players around you better 

  • Leadership
  • Communication
  • Work out with teammates (skill building)
  • Strength and conditioning as a group
  • Hustle is contagious
1. Prepare your plan.
2. Do the work.
3. Review your progress. 
4. Repeat. 

Specific Recommendations:
  • Find a mentor. 
  • "Winners are trackers." 
  • Use constraints. Seek personal bests setting standards and limitations such as time. 
  • Track strength and conditioning. 
  • Mindfulness to improve focus 
  • Engage AI (ChatGPT, Claude.ai, or DeepSeek) for ideas 
Lagniappe. "Change happens only when you’re willing to think independently, when you do what nobody else is doing, and risk looking like a fool because of it." - "Clear Thinking" by Shane Parrish

Lagniappe 2. Redick playbook (excellent video) 

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Monday, July 14, 2025

Basketball - "Skin in the Game"

"Skin in the Game" implies having "investment at risk," more than a casual investment in the outcome. There's a similar adage, "eating your own cooking."

Nassim Taleb wrote "Skin in the Game" referencing the need for justice, honor, and sacrifice. He emphasized four points early:

1) Assessing information, in his words, a "bull***t detector."

2) Symmetry, examination from both sides 

3) Asymmetrical information (what does one side know the other doesn't?)

4) Rationality 

How can we use this in our basketball universe? 

Information. A quote from Michael Connelly's "Two Kinds of Truth" applies. "He knew there were two kinds of truth in this world. The truth that was the unalterable bedrock of one’s life and mission. And the other, malleable truth of politicians, charlatans, corrupt lawyers, and their clients, bent and molded to serve whatever purpose was at hand."

If a coach or a reporter asks us for information in confidence, commit to the first kind of truth - strengths and limitations of a player without throwing them under the bus. If someone volunteers information, do we have a way or another source to confirm? 

Similarly, honesty includes "I don't know," when that is the truth. 

Symmetry. When discussing a team, player, or area for discussion, what are the alternatives and information available? Understanding symmetry also includes our own cognitive bias and intrinsic bias. For example, during team selection, I have an intrinsic bias for the more athletic player. Yet, I have seen "less athletic" players in terms of speed or quickness with exceptional skill that forged excellence. 

That doesn't mean excluding character issues (if known) or aptitude, such as the ability to learn and execute new information. 

Asymmetrical information. In the stock market, asymmetrical information includes "inside information." In sports, there may be physical or mental health data, or character information that only one side knows. In "Gridiron Genius," Patriots special assistant Mike Lombardi shared that he maintained contact with SEC sororities to access character data on football players from the women. At lower levels, accessing information be impossible. 

Rationality. Taleb writes, “Rationality is not what has internal logic, but what makes you survive.” Others may see our job through a lens of relationships or performance. I heard about an AD (not in our city) who received a parental complaint about a coach's personnel decisions. The AD said, "the team is 21-1, suggesting the coach knows what he is doing." 

Taleb distinguishes 'survival' in the real world from academic judgements. When we have "skin in the game," we are incentivized to make different decisions than if we don't. "Incentive asymmetries—such as when someone enjoys upside but others bear the risk—lead to irrational behavior." 

If a player has an injury, the coach or management may have upside to the player playing, when the player may not. A player may decide to sit out ahead of a pro draft when their school wants them to play. 

"Skin in the game" changes how we view situations. The portfolio manager whose money is invested alongside investors shares benefit and risk. The British monarchy famously put its sons in harm's way during war. Taleb shares, "You can’t be a lord if you aren’t a lord."

Lagniappe. Players are hardware (body) and software (decision-making). In Elon Musk, Isaacson writes, "Most importantly, regarding the car as a piece of software rather than just hardware allowed it to be continuously upgraded. New features could be delivered over the air." As coaches, we should understand the potential distinction. 

Lagniappe 2. Solid action out of horns with zoom. 



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Sunday, July 13, 2025

The Four-Point Shot and other Basketball Musings

Allegedly, the estimable Adam Silver is contemplating the four-point shot. Traditionalists ask, why depart from the demand for excellence to carnival barker antics?

Billy Donovan makes a historical point about "contestedness." If I were two feet away from the basket shooting against an engaged Wembanyama or Holmgren, the contestedness level approaches 100 and my shot probability is zero. If a "logo three" becomes a "logo four," the game is worse as trainers and agents whisper "chicks dig the long ball." The analytics experts whisper, "One "Four" and three airballs still makes a points per shot worth 1.00."

Etan Thomas pointed out that a WNBA star had the lowest four-game three-point shooting success in history. Is that what we want for the NBA? Can we award extra points if a player plays shoeless or with an eye patch covering their dominant eye? After all, both increase the degree of difficulty.

We get it. Drive eyeballs, interest, and dollars into the sport. Coach Wooden rightly said, "No progress occurs without change, but not all change is progress." 

What changes would I like to see? In the Celtics versus Grizzlies Summer League game, players fouled FOUR three-point shots. Just stop. Why give people three free throws? In that game, the teams combined to shoot 15-57 from beyond the arc, 26.3%. Defenders should have said, "Go ahead, make my day." 

The four-point play doesn't make the game more competitive or more compelling. Better defense could. That worked for OKC. More fundamentally sound play. That worked for the Spurs' "Beautiful Game." Fewer injuries would, an argument for "load management." Fans shouldn't fret over player salaries or salary boundaries that are "competitively bargained." Don't watch. 

Mr. Silver, "Say it ain't so." 

Maybe these are worth four. 


Lagniappe. Thoughts on ATOs. 



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Saturday, July 12, 2025

Basketball- “Think Small”


"Think small." - Rob Reiner to Ebra in The Bear

Navy SEAL commander Jocko Willink explains that one of his 'Teams' guys said, "Give me three things to know. I can't remember more than that." 

In baseball your swing or delivery can get too big. In basketball, a lot can get too big.

  • The drill book 
  • The playbook
  • Practice teaching
  • The number of video clips
  • Game plans/scouting reports 
  • Information conveyed in timeouts
  • Fundraising 
  • The working hours in a day
Think small. Some players are like the SEAL Team guy who can only handle so much information. Coach them up but be mindful of thinking small, essential details. When players can't handle the volume, we can get a "learning loss." The coach is ultimately responsible. 

Drill book. We can have 'everything' but can't use everything. If I could only have three:
  • Five versus seven (defense) full-court, no dribble. Pass and cut or fail.
  • Jay Wright's "Get 50" warm up. 
  • Small-sided game, 3 versus 3 inside the split. 
Playbook. There tends to be "creep" as the playbook expands. "Do more of what works and less of what doesn't." And "be good at what you do a lot."
  • Space, cut urgently, and pass on time and on target. We called the three-point line the 'spacing line'. 
  • Get paint touches and ball reversals. 
  • Use hard-to-defend actions. 
Practice teaching. Simplify. Tell 'em what you'll say, say it, tell 'em what you told 'em. Sacrifice. Selflessness. Quality shots. Take care of the basketball. Communication. Be specific. 

Video clips. Doc Rivers believes that 13 is the maximum. Anson Dorrance showed only positive clips to the UNC Women's Soccer team. 

Game plans. I'm old. Coach gave us six to eight mimeographed pages with the opponents personnel, offense, defense, and "keys to victory." The eight seniors had played together for six years. We could handle a lot having been through a lot. That's not the same for every team. 

Timeouts. Emphasize one or two key points. Looking in their eyes, do we see confidence or confusion?

Fundraising. I've covered this years ago. 

Hours in the day. Work-life balance is tough. Mastery? Never happens. If we want to be married or stay married, "figure it out." 

Lagniappe. Transition relies on the point guard. 
Lagniappe 2. Anson Dorrance re: Mia Hamm


It's not the time, it's the work. 

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Friday, July 11, 2025

Basketball - Not Just Kid Stuff, The Letter of the Day, "E"

Edison said inventors used imagination, persistence, and analogy. Coaches have those attributes, too. 


Today's message brought to you by the letter "E" as in Edison. 
  • Excellence
  • Exceptional 
  • Effectiveness
  • Efficiency
  • Enders, as in "Possession Enders"
Excellence. As children our grades read E, G, F, or P. E stood for excellence. Inside the UNC Women's Soccer locker room, a plaque reads "Excellence is our only agenda." Thousands of years ago, Aristotle supposedly said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

Exceptional. Exceptional performance arises through overarching commitment to exceptional work. Our work won't always be exceptional but we owe ourselves that effort. "Always do your best." 

Effectiveness. Coaches and players become effective when they change their world. Gandhi's impact came from his philosophy, "Be the change." 

Efficiency. Don't put in the time, put in the work. Get more done in any given "unit of time," with higher tempo practice, naming every repeated drill, and sprinting between drills. Brad Stevens said that he learned by watching Belichick's Patriots practice. I saw what was possible watching Geno Auriemma's 2016 team practice. 

Enders. Possession enders get scores and stops. They assist or score, rebound, get blocks, steals, and deflections. They impact the game at both ends of the court. Opponents must account for their presence at all times. 

Lagniappe. Effectiveness. 
Lagniappe 2. Champions act like champions before they are. 

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Thursday, July 10, 2025

Basketball - Mouths to Feed

No matter how much talent there is in the room, there's one basketball. And most of the time, the talent wants to eat...more touches and more shots earn more recognition. 

In The Leadership Playbook, Jamie Bechler shares examples where star players didn't cry like baby birds with open mouths. In 2012, Kentucky stars Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist went 4th and 5th in team shots taken. And in 2016, unsung hero Tristan Thompson went plus 32 in Finals Game 6 against the Warriors with 15 points and 16 boards. LeBron, Kyrie, and Kevin Love were the biggest names, but Thompson got the Cavs to a winning Game 7. 

Once before a big state tournament game, I overheard a parent tell their child to make sure that the child got "your shots." I wasn't the coach or in any way essential to the process. There was nothing to say. It didn't go well as the team got outplayed and lost. Did that advice change anything? No. Coaches coach, officials ref, and parents - love your children, but don't coach. 

Understand the 'mouths to feed' principle. The best players should get more shots in their preferred spots. And this merits discussion with the team. The point guard should be aware of those dynamics. Remember the saying, "You often get what you deserve; or you may deserve what you get." 

Players unhappy with their "diet," can supplement it by cutting better and by offensive rebounding. As for the former, know "the screener is the second cutter" to also set up other chances. 

The big dogs gotta eat. 

Lagniappe. Coach Dags advises players to create and finish their edge.  

Lagniappe 2. "Great offense is multiple actions." Complex screening (staggers, screen-the-screen, Spain, elevators) creates problems for aggressive defenses. 


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Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Basketball - Turf Battles

Everyone knows 'turf'; few want to discuss it. It's the "perceived ownership" of a domain. It's the local cops versus the FBI, Medicine versus Surgery, state versus federal. Some call it 'jurisdiction'. Others call it 'authority'. And every time, both sides believe it's theirs.  

How does "Turf" show up in basketball? 

I went to have a conversation with a local coach and addressed the coach by name. The immediate reply, "You will address me as 'Coach'." End of conversation. The intent was to sell "power" by position. I was neither selling nor buying. Sport is meritocracy until it isn't. 

In "The Politics of Coaching," Carl Pierson describes situations where parents tried to 'protect' their children by marginalizing opportunities for younger players in workouts or Summer Leagues. That's 'Turf'.

A couple of years ago, the state High School Administrative Organization determined that a school had circumvented or violated athlete participation rules. Rather than punish individuals, they gave the school the proverbial "Death Penalty" and banned all teams from postseason play for a year. They also stated that they don't keep written notes of meetings so no paper trail existed. That's another form of turf battle. 

It happens in the pros, too. After Tristan Casas was injured and Alex Bregman had replaced Rafael Devers at third, moving Devers to DH, the Red Sox asked Devers to try first base. He declined. The team shipped Devers and his $250M contract out for what baseball experts considered a mediocre return. While in some sports, stars dictate personnel decisions, the turf battle ended with "He who has the gold makes the rules." 

Years ago Coach Bill Parcells left the Patriots during a dispute with ownership about control of personnel decisions. Parcells said, "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries."

Let's step aside for an AI consult, via ChatGPT:

Prompt: Thank you for your input. "Turf battles" show up in many domains, including basketball. Please elaborate and share examples.
ChatGPT said:

You're absolutely right—turf battles aren’t limited to boardrooms or bureaucracies. They show up vividly in sports, especially basketball, where roles, recognition, and responsibilities are often contested. Turf battles arise when individuals or groups fight to protect or expand their control, status, or influence—often at the expense of collaboration or team goals.

What Turf Battles Look Like in Basketball

1. Player vs. Player: Role and Touches

  • Scenario: Two star players both want to be “the guy.” One wants more plays called for him, the other wants to bring the ball up and initiate.

  • Example: Think of the early clashes between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal on the Lakers. Both wanted to be the alpha. Their turf battle was about control of the offense and recognition as the team's leader.

2. Coach vs. Player: Control of the Game

  • Scenario: A talented point guard ignores the coach’s play call to freelance. The coach sees it as insubordination; the player sees it as trusting instincts.

  • Example: Allen Iverson's friction with coaches often came down to autonomy—he wanted the freedom to play his game, while coaches wanted structure.

3. Assistant Coaches vs. Head Coach: Philosophical Differences

  • Scenario: An assistant believes the team should press or run zone more, but the head coach resists change. The assistant pushes players behind the scenes, creating factions.

  • Example: This is less visible in the public but happens frequently in college programs or pro staffs where assistants are eyeing promotions.

4. Parents vs. Coach: Playing Time and Roles

  • Scenario: A parent believes their child should be starting or getting more shots and tries to influence the coach—or worse, stirs discontent among other parents.

  • Example: High school programs see this often. Parents politic for positions or organize around perceived slights.

5. Athletic Director vs. Coach: Program Vision

  • Scenario: The coach wants to rebuild with younger players, but the AD pressures them to win now to please boosters or justify the budget.

  • Example: In college or prep settings, these turf battles may force premature roster moves or lead to firings.

Consequences of Turf Battles

  • Erosion of trust: Players stop believing in coaches or teammates.

  • Fragmented team culture: “Us vs. them” mentalities form inside the locker room.

  • Stalled development: Younger players are caught in the crossfire or discouraged.

  • Underperformance: Even with talent, dysfunction kills cohesion and execution.

Strategies to Reduce Turf Battles

  • Clearly defined roles: When expectations are transparent, there's less ambiguity and friction.

  • Regular communication: Addressing concerns before they fester prevents camps from forming.

  • Shared goals and values: Reinforce team-first culture over individual agendas.

  • Ego management: Celebrate humility and reward unselfishness publicly.

Turf battles are natural in competitive environments—but unmanaged, they rot teams from the inside. Great leaders—on the court and off—spot them early and root them out through clarity, connection, and accountability.

Lagniappe. There's a lot to digest. Five-out (50, Spread, Open) offenses achieve spacing allowing for opportunities for driving, player and ball movement, drive and dish, and ball reversals that challenge defenses. 

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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Core Principles of Basketball Player Development

Nobody can summarize player development, a process that takes years, in a brief article. Sharing ideas is possible.

1) Match enthusiastic instructors to eager learners for a chance at exceptional results. At elite levels think Chris Brickley and LeBron, Drew Hanlen and Jason Tatum, Tim S. Grover and Kobe. 

2) "Make the big time where you are." Don't have an air conditioned, indoor facility or expensive equipment? Use what you have. 

3) Seek to develop "three-level" finishers. I'm not saying that 5'9" guys should have a post game. They do need to finish off one or two feet, with either hand from either side. 

4) "Repetitions make reputations" and "the magic is in the work." Make training realistic, under fatiguing conditions, with defense and decision-making part of the process. Add constraints of time, space, hand and footwork requirements. 

5) Process > results and better process translates to better results. My daughters got to be top 30 in MA with Old Me (not so great) supplementing quality coaching from Shawanda Brown and others. Cecilia Kay (now at St. Joseph's) and Samantha Dewey (Richmond) became top five players in Massachusetts with better "Old Man" coaching during middle school development. 

6) Study the game. Player development blends the mental and the physical. Because Bob Knight's principle of "the mental to the physical" is four to one, teach players to "see the game" with teaching clips and teaching video. "Get in your notebook." 

7) "Basketball is a game of separation." Teach players to separate with and without the ball, setting up cuts, changing pace and direction, using screens and savvy (see "head turners"). Sometimes player development means extra physical effort and sometimes it's more mental. 

8) Sport rewards athletic explosion. Learn or find training in strength, quickness, and conditioning. Jump rope is an inexpensive tool.

9) Be open to advanced thinking. Chris Oliver and Brian McCormick are just two player development experts emphasizing random over block training. What "time-honored" drills or 'core practices' have become outdated? 

10) "Take care of the kid." Herb Welling shared a great point. When a coach gets the privilege of helping the "special player," then you have to take care of her. Help her become a "possession ender" who gets scores and stops. There's no "two-way player." Every player contributes, or doesn't as part of the whole on both ends. 

There's much more, expecting excellence at home and in the classroom and teaching leadership. That's a joyful burden on the coach, until the player moves on to others who can take her further. 

Player development goals:

  • See (the game)
  • Process 
  • Decide (make the best choice)
  • Act 
The analogy is Colonel John Body's OODA Loop process. 

  • Observe: Gain situational awareness via all your senses
  • Orient: Contextualize what you observe based on everything you know
  • Decide: Formulate the optimal course of action
  • Act: Execute on your decision without delay

Lagniappe. Diagnostics. Players don't come with a "Check Engine" light. Relationships allow us to get candor from players, up to a point. Get another opinion on what's going on. There's a story about a player who was consider selfish, looking to score above all else. When coaches and teammates challenged her, she broke down in tears saying that her father wouldn't talk to her if she didn't score. 

Lagniappe 2. We can't use everything but we can find something. NBA BOBs. 

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Monday, July 7, 2025

Basketball - Greatest Day


"Today this could be the greatest day of our lives." Imagine the possibility.

Don't dismiss today. We look back fondly on great days of the past and toward the future.

Do we have a winning "morning routine?" Own our happiness. 

Consider advice from Tim Ferriss via ChatGPT: 

Tim Ferriss has spoken and written extensively about morning routines, especially in Tools of Titans and his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. While he doesn't believe there's a one-size-fits-all routine, he emphasizes that successful people often start their day deliberately. Here are the main elements he recommends or practices himself:

1. Make Your Bed

  • Why: A small win to begin the day. Ferriss picked this up from Admiral William McRaven, who said it sets a tone of discipline and accomplishment.

  • Benefit: Momentum and a visual reminder that little things matter.

2. Meditate (10–20 minutes)

  • Tools: Transcendental Meditation, or guided apps like Headspace or Waking Up.

  • Why: Clears mental clutter and sets a calm tone for the day.

  • Quote: “If you don’t have 10 minutes to meditate, you need an hour.”

3. Exercise or Movement

  • What: Even just 5–10 minutes—can be pushups, kettlebells, or a walk.

  • Why: Triggers endorphins and gets blood flowing. Enhances clarity and energy.

4. Journal

  • Options: He often uses the 5-Minute Journal or Morning Pages (from Julia Cameron).

  • Purpose: Gratitude, setting priorities, and identifying potential obstacles.

  • Why: It clears the mind and aligns focus with values.

5. Have Tea or Coffee

  • Often includes: Green tea or strong coffee with coconut oil or butter (inspired by Bulletproof Coffee).

  • Purpose: A mindful ritual, not just caffeine intake.

6. Read or Reflect

  • Ferriss often reads a few pages of Stoic philosophy (The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, or Letters from a Stoic by Seneca).

  • Why: Centers his thinking on enduring principles instead of reactive emotion.

Notes from Ferriss:

  • Consistency > Duration: You don’t need 2 hours. Just 1–2 of these practices done regularly make a difference.

  • "Win the morning, win the day." Ferriss often quotes this as a core belief. Controlling your morning reduces decision fatigue and emotional reactivity later.

 For the basketball devotee, that could certainly include:

1) Exercise and/or stretching 

2) Reading (Kevin Eastman's lifelong two-hour commitment is admirable) - what book(s) are you reading now? I recently borrowed (online via Hoopla) Jamie Bechler's "Leadership Playbook" - exceptional.

3) Mindfulness (a quick body scan has benefits)

4) Video study (even studying a topic for five minutes has merit)

5) Journaling (you are here). 

Lagniappe. Short video study...slipping ball screens opens up basket cuts, short roll passing, and drives. 

Lagniappe 2. A quick exercise in mindfulness: 

Almost every great athlete (professional or Olympian) has a mindfulness practice. Why not you? 

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Sunday, July 6, 2025

Clear on Copying

“What aspect of your work is hardest to copy? How can you amplify it?” - James Clear, weekly newsletter

Anybody can share their vision and beliefs online. Doing so responsibly, consistently, and well is another matter. 

1. "Grading our work" is never free from bias. Endowment bias tells us that what is ours (family, ideas, beliefs) has value beyond the opinion of other observers. The same applies for coaching. Asking "am I a good coach" is the wrong question. "How can I be a better coach?" 

2. Writers expose ourselves to legitimate criticism of what Salman Rushdie calls our creative and critical imagination. Author Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons) says that "the difference between good writers and bad writers is that good writers know when they're bad." As coaches, recognize when we're better or worse. 

3. Authors can mislead readers, misrepresenting others' ideas or outright plagiarizing other work. I favor transparency in coaching so that outsiders can see our process and make direct observations. 

4. Coaching, playing, and writing share a common theme, all benefit from good editing. Author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) suggests that there is value to letting our work sit and then coming back to it. Coaches have limited practice and teaching time. Revise or eliminate what isn't working. 

5. How should we use Artificial Intelligence in our work? Machines often replaced human labor and have the potential to replace cognitive work. Use AI every day. 

6. When using AI editing, when do "our work" and "our ideas" no longer become ours? Basketball is open source. Get more edges. 

7. Entrepreneur Sara Blakely says, "Obsess the product." Exceeding 4,000 posts written over a decade, there's plenty of obsession going on. 

8. Delulu. Nobody sane would produce the product I do. The backstory is the personal benefit of extensive reading and cognitive stimulation of the work. 

Writing brings ideas to life. 

Lagniappe. We activate our brain different with analog and digital tools. Steal this idea from Austin Kleon in "Steal Like an Artist." 

"Try it: If you have the space, set up two workstations, one analog and one digital. For your analog station, keep out anything electronic. Take $10, go to the school supply aisle of your local store, and pick up some paper, pens, and sticky notes."

Lagniappe 2. The Duke star was an early lottery pick. 
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Saturday, July 5, 2025

Basketball Non-negotiables

We live in a dos and don'ts universe. "Do this, don't do that." Find something to steal. 

Non-negotiables aren't just for players. Think about it.

  • Inspire. Lift people up. 
  • Be positive. "You cannot make a positive life with a negative attitude."
  • Bring energy. Practice with a dead fish, play like one.
  • Be prepared. Asking players to be prepared if we're not...
  • Simplify. You can "have everything." Nobody can use everything. We've all been guilty. 
  • "Never be a child's last coach." 
Non-negotiables for players
  • Punctuality. Be on time, stretched out, mentally engaged. 
  • Listen. Be an elephant (big ears).
  • Know your job. How can you expect to play if you don't know what to do?
  • Be detail-oriented.
  • Decisions define destiny - shots, turnovers, defense.
  • Challenge shots without fouling. 
  • Be coachable

Points to ponder...

  • Kindness matters. 
  • Empathy means trying to understand how the other person feels.
  • Think "what does our team need now?"
  • Ask "how can I help?"
Lagniappe. From Jamie Bechler's "The Leadership Playbook":
"During the 2015-16 season, Kwahi Leonard shot 44.3% from the three-point arc.  Only J.J. Redick and Steph Curry shot better.  Considering that Leonard was First-Team All-NBA, that hardly seemed strange.  However, a few years earlier he had been a very poor shooter.  I his two years at San Diego State University, he shot 20.5% and 29.1% from the three-point arc.  It is a testament to Leonard's coachability and work ethic that we was willing to honestly evaluate his game and his goals."

Lagniappe 2. If it doesn't matter, cut it out. 

Popularity isn't synonymous with quality. But "social proof" (readers) does mean something. Yesterday, the blog had almost 8,000 visitors. 


 

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